However, Scott Eastwood likely isn’t the reason the film didn’t do better. The 29-year-old actor already has a long list of film credits in movies like Gran Torino, Invictus, Trouble With the Curve and Fury. He made his film debut in Flags of Our Fathers. But he wasn’t always sure that acting was what he wanted to do even if his father is Clint Eastwood.

For the younger Eastwood, there haven’t been any free rides. In a PEOPLE interview he is quoted as saying, “I’ve had a job since I can remember. My first car was a ‘91 Ford Crown Victoria that was $1,000. And I had to buy every car after that. I had to do it all.” Scott also credits his father for getting him into the gym at a young age and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. However, he can’t count on getting a movie role just because his dad is directing a movie. He snagged the role in The Longest Ride after missing out on a part in his dad’s movie American Sniper.

“I’ve auditioned for pretty much every one of my father’s movies,” he told Variety. But he doesn’t get any special treatment. For the times he doesn’t make the cut, Eastwood doesn’t expect any special treatment. “You don’t get a phone call. It’s nothing personal.”

However Eastwood is hoping his role as a bull rider in The Longest Ride will help launch his career as a leading man in the same way The Notebook made Ryan Gosling a household name.

About author

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.